russian river valley

Kistler Vineyards: Consistently Among the Best

Filed under: Wine

Kistler Vineyards, a small, family-owned and operated winery in the Russian River Valley, is a nominee for a Readers' Choice Award for Best Domestic White Wine.

The winery is operated by winemakers Steve Kistler and Mark Bixler. Kistler is a Stanford graduate who was formerly an assistant at Ridge Vineyards, oversees vineyard operations. Bixler, an M.I.T. grad who taught chemistry for seven years at Fresno State University before working at Fetzer Vineyards, is Kistler's chemist and business manager.

Kistler's grape sources include some of the finest vineyards in Napa and Sonoma Counties. Its winery is a state-of-the-art facility optimized for the production of limited quantities of the very highest quality Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Kistler Vineyards Burgundian-styled Chardonnay has been recognized by all of the most respected wine writers as being consistently one of the very best Chardonnays made in California. It is made using traditional French techniques, with the winemaker himself performing the cellar work on the wines.

Gallery: Kistler Vineyards